Vault of Dreamers – Reviewed by Hannah

Hannah, who was a sixth graders in my class this past year, is a bright, charismatic, enthusiastic reader, who was kind enough to take time from her summer vacation to write a review.

She goes by the nickname “Wolf” and draws the most incredible pictures of them. Since school’s out and my classroom packed up, the ones she drew for me are in a file ready to go back up in the fall. She asked me to find a wolf picture to represent her, so I hope she likes the one I chose!

.

.

The Vault of Dreamers, by Caragh M. O’Brien

Rosie Sinclair has been accepted into the prestigious Forge School, a place that has risen from its humble, obscure beginnings to an absolutely wonderful reality TV show! You heard me: it’s not just a school– it’s TV’s most popular show! And just like every other moderately decent TV show, there’s an elimination round. It broadcasts students’ everyday lives to the general public during the day, and in the night replays the day’s footage so viewers can pick their favorites and vote for who they want to stay at the school. But what happens to the students at night? They all consume a sleep-inducing pill.

Rosie has been a good girl until her curiosity gets the better of her. One night, she decides to skip her pill to roam around and explore, but she never realizes that even during the night, the cameras — and the dean– never stop watching. As soon as she finds something… disconcerting (sorry, I can’t spoil the whole book!)… and nobody can give her any answers, she dives into the mysteries herself, not realizing that she’s only at the mercy of the school’s most powerful figure: the dean.

She’s on a chain that’s only getting tighter, while, oblivious, she delves deeper to uncover (literally, uncover) the secret that’s been alive for years while trying not to be expelled and eliminated. And (of course) there’s romance, because what teen novel these days doesn’t have romance? (Correct answer: none)

Note: If you don’t like suspense, don’t read this. I don‘t suggest this book for kids under 10, as it can give you some serious scares.